Florida Senate - 2016                                    SJR 902
       
       
        
       By Senator Garcia
       
       
       
       
       
       38-00536-16                                            2016902__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4
    3         of Article VI and the creation of a new section in
    4         Article XII of the State Constitution to increase
    5         limits on the period for which a person may be elected
    6         as a state senator or state representative and to
    7         remove limits on the period for which a person may be
    8         elected as a United States Senator or United States
    9         Representative.
   10          
   11  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article VI and
   14  the creation of a new section in Article XII of the State
   15  Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the
   16  electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   17  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   18  authorized by law for that purpose:
   19                             ARTICLE VI                            
   20                       SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS                      
   21         SECTION 4. Disqualifications.—
   22         (a) A No person convicted of a felony, or adjudicated in
   23  this or any other state to be mentally incompetent, is not shall
   24  be qualified to vote or hold office until restoration of civil
   25  rights or removal of disability.
   26         (b) A No person may not appear on the ballot for re
   27  election to any of the following offices:
   28         (1) State senator or state representative if, by the end of
   29  the current term of office, the person will have served, or but
   30  for resignation would have served, in that office for twelve
   31  consecutive years.
   32         (1) Florida representative,
   33         (2) Florida senator,
   34         (2)(3)Florida Lieutenant governor or,
   35         (4) any office of the Florida cabinet,
   36         (5) U.S. Representative from Florida, or
   37         (6) U.S. Senator from Florida if, by the end of the current
   38  term of office, the person will have served, or (or, but for
   39  resignation, would have served,) in that office for eight
   40  consecutive years.
   41                             ARTICLE XII                           
   42                              SCHEDULE                             
   43         Applicability of amendment relating to the terms of state
   44  senators and state representatives.—
   45         (a) This amendment shall take effect upon approval by the
   46  electors.
   47         (b) The increase on limits on the period for which a person
   48  may be elected as a state senator or state representative by
   49  this amendment shall apply only to persons who are elected to
   50  their initial term of office for purposes of calculating term
   51  limits as a state senator or state representative in the 2016
   52  general election or any election thereafter.
   53         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   54  placed on the ballot:
   55                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   56                        ARTICLE VI, SECTION 4                      
   57                             ARTICLE XII                           
   58         REVISING TERM LIMITS FOR LEGISLATIVE OFFICES.—Proposing an
   59  amendment to the State Constitution to increase limits on the
   60  period for which a person may be elected as state senator or
   61  state representative, generally from 8 consecutive years to 12
   62  consecutive years, for persons not currently serving in such an
   63  office; and to remove limits on the period for which a person
   64  may be elected as a United States Senator or United States
   65  Representative, which have previously been ruled
   66  unconstitutional.